Promise kept
by AwesomeZombieSlayerGRL
Summary: Little short for a fanfic I was writing


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He kept his promise. The next evening after the party, Ezio and I headed out to the fighting rink to practice. His uncle let us borrow some of the body armor that the mercenaries left around. Uncle Mario was able to find some in my size, to my own surprise.  
We carried the items, along with wooden swords, down to the rink. Ezio laid his armful down and took mine. Our arms brushed up against each other. I could feel my face flush. "Um... just give me a minute," Ezio mumbled. I nodded and began to walk around the rink. An assassin emblem was engraved on a nearby wall. Absentmindedly, I ran my fingers over it until Ezio called my name. "Rosa, come over here."  
I walked over to him and he handed me a couple of the pieces. After a few minutes passed, I found out that not all the pieces could be put on by one person. Ah crap, I thought. "Um Ezio? Could you help me with this?" I asked. Ezio looked up and came over to me. It was the one piece that covered my entire body(front and back). It was the back of it that I couldn't reach. As soon as Ezio was behind me, my face flushed like hell.  
He began to tighten the strings at the back and tied it. One of his hands lingered on my shoulder until he turned around to pick up the swords. Tossing one to me, he said, "Now why don't you show me those so-called moves that you've told my uncle that you've bragged about." I raised an eyebrow and said, "They won't be 'so-called' when they knock you down." I took my stance. "Oh really?" he asked. "Si, really," I replied. Suddenly, he yelled, "Begin!" Ezio lunged at me so fast I hardly had time enough to jump out of the way. He turned around and came at me again, but I was ready for him this time. I blocked one swing, dodged another, and wound up pointing my sword at his back.  
"Bene," Ezio commented as he walked away from the tip of my blade to face me, "Now let's see you do it again. Your move." I backed up to other side of the rink and said, "Oh, so now you're being gentleman?" Ezio placed a hand on his mouth and contemplated my words. "Well, I guess I am," he laughed. "Bring it, deficiente," I taunted. Ezio smiled tauntingly. "How about we change it up a bit?" he asked after we practiced that move a few more times. I was only knocked down once. Ezio had blocked one of my swings and it threw me to the ground.  
"What did you have in mind?" I asked, tucking a piece of loose hair behind one of my ears. "How about we use the house grounds? Just the grounds," he told me,"not all of Monterrigongi." "Va bene," I agreed. "Cominci!" Ezio yelled again. He lunged at me yet again, but feigned to the right, then to the left. I dodged two of his blows and blocked the third. He jumped back. I took my stance and made towards but I feigned to the left and jumped over the rink's wall and vaulted up another wall that led to house grounds. When I got to the top, I turned around. "Merda!" I muttered. Ezio was no where to be seen.  
I strained my senses to their fullest, just trying to listen to any abnormal noise that disrupted the silence. Then, there it was. The tiniest crunch of grass right behind me. I smiled and whirled around to meet Ezio's blade that was about to land on me. For the briefest moment, there was slight shock on Ezio's face but it vanished as quickly as it had come on. "Pozzo fatto," he commented. "Grazie,"I replied. "Any other man would have been dead right there," he continued. "Let's just say that I have 'heightened' senses," I said, B.S-ingly. "Ha, oh realmente?" Ezio laughed. "Yes, really." I smiled.  
"How about you try that again," Ezio replied. Then, his blade whipped up and I just barely blocked it again. We pushed against each other, seeing who would back down first. "Try using your 'heightened senses' and detect this!" Ezio shoved his sword against me, pushing me back. I stumbled but caught myself just in time. I stood and faced my opponent with utter determination. "Is that all you got?" I taunted him as we circled each other. Ezio gave me a smirk and a challenging nod of the head.  
All the while, I looked around for an escape route. I saw it: a path leading behind the villa. As quick as I could move, I stooped down and pretended to be defeated. Ezio approached me cautiously. He had to because I scooped up handful of sand/dirt and threw it, causing Ezio to jump out of the way. He was temporarily blinded but that gave all the time I needed to run back behind the villa. Ezio realized this as soon as I rounded the corner. "Hey! Get back here!" he called after me. "Catch me if you can!" I called back over my shoulder. My whipped me in the face as the wind began to pick up. A storm was quickly approaching. Black clouds swirled up above.  
I didn't need to look up to know that Ezio was up on the roof of the villa. One corner of the house was lit up half in moonlight and half in shadow. I approached it cautiously. As soon as I passed the shadow half, a hand shot out and flew over my mouth. Another locked my arms behind my back. I slammed my foot down on the attacker's foot and was rewarded with a yell. I spun out their grasp and faced them. My eyebrows raised as I saw Ezio massaging his injured foot. "Merda! Cui era quello per?!" Ezio demanded. It took all of two seconds for me to realize that it was him who snuck up on me. "Maybe you shouldn't sneak up on me," I told him, "You just be glad I didn't raise my foot any higher."  
"Yeah, I probably should," he said as he stood up. "Just remember to never turn your back on your opponent," he reminded me. "Well, how the hell was I supposed to know you were right there?" I countered. Ezio paused and shrugged. "Are we still continuing?" I asked him after a few minutes of awkward silence. "Maybe, but a storm's approaching fast," Ezio replied. "And?" I laughed. "Buon punto," Ezio agreed.  
We took our stances, just a few feet from each other. I lunged at him. He blocked my swing and disarmed me with a flick of his wrist. We both watched as my blade circled in the air and came to a stop as it hit the ground just thirty feet away. Ezio and I looked at each other, both of us thinking the exact same thing. I took off but i didn't get very far. I felt a hand curl around one of my wrists and throw me, none too hard, against the wall.  
I looked at him, utterly pissed. Even though one wrist was pinned, I still had the other one. Or so I thought. I swung out with my other fist it nearly connected with his head, but Ezio caught it. I squirmed in his grasp, trying to get out. Until he stood stock still over me. I stopped.  
Suddenly, I was aware of how close we were to each inferno! I thought. I felt his breath stir a few loose strands of my hair that escaped my ponytail. I took a deep breath and looked up. Our faces were mere inches away. I nearly jumped. I felt his grip loosen on my wrists; I knew I could get out... but I didn't want to. He let go of one of my wrists and his hand rested on my lower back. My released wrist wrapped itself around his neck. Our other hands intertwined. Ezio's hand on my lower back pulled me closer to him. Our breath mingled as our faces neared each other. "Hm, may I?" Ezio asked me as we came closer. I smiled. "Che cosa pensate?"  
Our lips met. At first they were fleeting. Last only only a few seconds. Then they deepened. It was as of we hungered for each other.  
Ezio moved from my lips to my jawline and neck. I hadn't realized that I was holding my breath; I let it out as a sigh of pure pleasure. I felt him smile as he moved back up to my face. I smiled. Then, one of my feet started to fall asleep. I moved it slightly and it landed on rock. My foot slipped and I expected myself to land smack onto the ground. That was when I noticed I was being lowered onto the ground. I looked at him. "Thanks," I murmured. He smiled and nodded. He kissed me again and left me breathless. "Maledizione, siete buono," I told him. Ezio laughed. "I've had a lot of practice before I met you," he told me.  
That was when we finally noticed that it was raining. Ezio turned his face upward, causing his hood to fall back from his face. "We may as well head inside unless you want to catch cold," he told me. Ezio stood up and held out one of his hands to help pull me up. I walked a little and stretched my arms up over my head. Ezio wrapped his arms around my waist and we kissed again. With that, we began to head over to the villa when a voice that sounded as cold as ice spoke. "Well isn't this a lovely picture?"  
Ezio spun around to meet the stranger. He placed me behind him. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" Ezio demanded. "John Beauchart, at your Messer Ezio," the man spoke, "Oh don't look surprised that I know your name-" "Non sono," Ezio snapped. "-You've become a very popular topic in conversations," John continued as if Ezio hadn't interrupted him. Oh and I haven't even described the outfit Beauchart was wearing. He had on a long brown-colored trench coat with dark pants on. He also had on a strange hat that blocked most of the rain from his face. He also had dark, nearly black, shoulder length hair. Also, brown eyes.  
He also looked so familiar, I just couldn't place my finger on it. His voice took me out my observations. "And who is the lovely giovane signora behind you?" he asked. Despite Ezio's protests, I stepped out from behind him. Rosalyn Morretti," I said simply. "Piacevole per fare la vostra conoscenza," John told me and took my hand and kissed the top of it. I nearly wrenched my hand away from but I forced myself to stand it. I would not let this man see me squirm under his unrelenting gaze. He sneered at me and then his eyes narrowed at Ezio. It almost looked as though he was sizing Ezio up, but it vanished quickly.  
Ezio wrapped his arm around my shoulders protectively and dared John to do anything else. "Why don't we discuss this over an open fire and a hot meal?" Ezio asked John in strained voice. I was silently begging Beauchart to decline and leave. "Ah, thanks but sorry, Signore. I have some other business to attend to-" John said. Ezio threw out a string of apologies and "It's alright, maybe another time". We turned around and began towards the villa. "-like taking care of you!" John yelled. Ezio and I spun around. Ezio pushed m out of the way. The rain was coming down in sheets which made it harder to see unless lightning flashed, which was few and in between.  
Suddenly I was shoved to the ground without warning and white hot pain lanced up my left leg. I thought I tasted blood in my mouth. I could hear swords clashing against each other then flesh being pierced. A shriek of pain sounded close by as some thing landed with a thud. Something else hit me in the back and head. I was in pain for a few seconds longer before I was caught in the embrace of unconsciousness.


End file.
